Accepting
by JediAshes1021
Summary: Sarah accepts Jareth's offer and stays with him in the Underground, not fully realizing what she agrees to. During her first days, a tragedy befalls them. Will it bring them closer or tear them further apart?
1. Default Chapter

Accepting Chapter 1

He stood in the shadows. Waiting. Hair a golden halo around his pale, perfect face. He took a moment to admire the girl before him, still oblivious to his presence.

She was turned away from him. Still only clad in a poet shirt and jeans. Her hair was matted and damp with perspiration. Her clothes were tattered and dirty from her journey, and yet her beauty was only magnified. He especially loved the rosy color that had accumulated on her cheeks over the past thirteen hours. She turned towards him.

Her heart jumped. He seemed to materialize from the shadows before her. His white shirt billowed around his lean body. His face seemed paler than before, if it could be any paler. Even though he frightened her, she had to admit (only to herself of course) that he was quite beautiful. He walked towards her.

"Sarah beware, I have been generous up until now, but I can be cruel." He sneered at her.

"Generous! What have you done that was generous…" she began.

"Everything!" he shrieked at her. "You asked that the child be taken, I took him. You cowered before me, I was frightening. I have re-ordered time. I have turned the world upside-down and I have done it all for you!"

She simply gawked at the man that stood before her. Generous? He stole her brother. He sent his hoards of goblins after her. He threatened her and her new found friends. How is that generous? But on another level she knew that he spoke the truth. She did ask for Toby to be taken. Her own life had become so monotonous. Day after day drifted by, one exactly the same as any other: boring and uneventful. She had longed for a way out, an adventure for so long. Had she not been so worried about the life of her baby brother, she would have enjoyed her trek through the labyrinth.

His hands came up and Sarah instinctively took a step back. In one he held a transparent white crystal, in the other a dark, black crystal. He gestured to the black one.

"Look what I am offering you Sarah, your dreams."

'What is he doing? What does he know about my dreams?'

"I ask for so little." He begged, continuing to hold out the black crystal. "Just fear me, love me, do as I say…and I will be your slave!"

Love him? LOVE HIM? How could she love this man? She couldn't believe it. After everything he had put her through, after everything he had done to her, he actually had the gumption to ask her to love him, stay with him? He terrified her. But what scared her even more were the butterflies that started to dance in her stomach when he had uttered the word _love_.

She stared up at him. Did she hear him right? Was he really asking her to stay here with him? 'He must be trying to trick me' she thought. And yet there he was with pleading, mismatched eyes, asking, no begging, for her to stay and love him.

He gestured to his other hand. This one held the transparent crystal.

"Or…" he continued, "you can return to your mind-numbing, insignificant life and spend each and every weekend babysitting and playing with your toys, wishing and longing for another adventure to come along."

She was torn. More than anything, she didn't want to return home. No one loved her there. Her stepmother surely didn't. She didn't have any real friends at school. Her father might have loved her once, but now he was too preoccupied with his new family to really care about her. But how could she stay with this man before her that frightened her to her very soul?

"If I took your offer…I'm not saying I am…just if…what would happen to Toby?" she demanded.

"He would be sent back to his parents, safe and still human."

He saw her thinking it over. 'Oh gods, please choose me' he thought. He saw her trembling hand begin to ascend towards his. She was reaching out, but which would she choose? His heart knocked against the ribs in his chest. He closed his eyes, just for a moment. He opened them again just in time to see her slender fingers grasp the black crystal in his quivering hand.

And then the world fell down.

Sarah's heart fluttered as the ground disappeared beneath her feet. The dark crystal that she clasped had disappeared and she reached out for something, anything to hold on to. She grabbed Jareth's now vacant hands as they fell together into a giant cathedral. The room was filled to the brim with goblins of all shapes and sizes, colors and creeds, all eerily quiet. In the rear she could see Hoggle, Ludo and Sir Didimus being held back by a group of armored goblins. She looked down at herself. Her clothes had changed, she now was wearing the elegant gown that she wore at the ball, but this time she also wore a veil.

She looked at Jareth. His clothes had changed as well and he was still clasping her hands. Someone began to speak and Sarah looked up into the eyes, and hat, of the wise man. She couldn't grasp what was going on or what the wise man was saying. She felt something being placed on her hand and looked down to see a ring with a tiny black crystal encrusted in the center on her finger.

Jareth lifted the veil and looked into Sarah's beautiful, yet exceedingly confused, eyes. Didn't she know what she was agreeing to? He thought, but it no longer mattered because she had chosen him. He leaned into her and placed his lips on hers in a chaste kiss.

His kiss was so soft and gentile that it surprised her more than an overpowering, deep kiss would.

'Is what I think is happening, actually happening? I didn't agree to this! I only agreed to stay with him, not marry him!' her mind raged.

The crowd of goblins cheered for their king as Jareth led the bewildered girl down the aisle. This was all too much for the poor girl and she began to see spots dance in her eyes. Jareth felt her stumble and pulled her to him. The last thing she saw before she fainted was Jareth's worried, mismatched eyes.

Sarah awoke surrounded by soft blankets. For a moment she thought she was home and smiled. When she opened her eyes, the smile disappeared.

'She's finally awake', he thought. He had spent the entire night by her bedside, waiting for her to return to him.

"Where am I?" she whispered. Her throat was dry and scratchy.

"I carried you to your chambers when you fainted. Are you well?" He asked as he handed her a cool glass of water.

She took the glass and drank ravishingly. "I think so." She said as she stared down at her adorned finger. "Are we…um…you know…"

"Yes…you chose to stay here…"

"Yes to stay here, not to marry you! You tricked me!" she screamed.

"I did nothing of the sort! You chose the dark crystal and everything that went along with it. Maybe you should learn to ask questions before agreeing to a proposition."

"That's not…"

"Fair?" he chuckled. "Were already finishing each others sentences, my sweet."

'My sweet!' She was so angry. No , not angry, livid. How could he trick her like this! Did he really expect her to love him now, just because they were husband and wife?

Suddenly Sarah's stomach grumbled and she realized that she was famished. The last thing she had eaten was an enchanted peach and that was over a day before.

"Come, you are hungry. Get dressed and I shall accompany you to breakfast." He said as he left the room to give her privacy as she changed.

She slowly got out of bed and walked over to an armoire that was on the other side of the room. She opened the heavy doors to see the most beautiful gowns she had ever seen in every color of the rainbow. She picked out a blue, plain dress and matching slippers and changed behind the screen that stood next to the armoire.

"Where are my friends?" Sarah asked between bites of heavenly quiche.

"Ah, Higgle, the monster, and the fox…" he mussed.

"Hoggle, Ludo, and Sir Didimus." She corrected.

"Yes, well, I sent them home. No doubt they are all concocting a plan to 'save' you from my 'evil' grasp." His voice dripped with sarcasm. He continued when Sarah gave him a disapproving look. "Anyway, they have been placed under house arrest until further notice."

"House arrest, but why?"

"They helped you through my labyrinth, and that is treason. They should have been executed!" At that word, Sarah gasped and stared wide-eyed at the Goblin King. "But since they are your friends and I knew I would never hear the end of it if I killed them, I spared their lives." 'They also brought you to me' he added silently.

"Am I aloud to visit them and show them that I am OK?" she asked.

"You are permitted to go anywhere you want within the Goblin City and the castle." He replied lightheartedly with a wave of his hand. His face and countenance grew serious as he spoke again. "But I warn you, do not travel in the west wing of the castle. There are dangers and secrets I wish you not to see." But she was already halfway across the room.

"Welp, then I am off to see my friends." She called back as she left the table.

So what do you all think? Any good? Please R&R! This is my first fanfic so I would like to know if I should continue or not. Thanx everyone!


	2. Accepting Chapter 2

Accepting Chapter 2

'Maybe I should have asked Jareth which house they were in before I left' Sarah mused as she wandered out of the castle and into the city.

She needn't have been worried, for their house was easy to recognize, being that ten or so goblin guards surrounded only one house in the city.

One of the guards caught her in the corner of his eye and bellowed "Yer ladyship!" and bowed low. The other goblins followed suit and chanted similar greetings.

Seeing the power that she now held over the rabble, she walked over to the biggest, and least unclean of the pack, assuming that he was their leader.

"Excuse me, but your services are no longer needed here, Guard." She elaborated when he stared at her with confused eyes. "These three are no longer under house arrest, you may leave."

"Oh, er… as yer majesty wishes…yer majesty." And with that the group dispersed.

Sir Didimus burst forth from the door first followed by Hoggle and Ludo.

"What cunning wit! What magnanimous thinking! Tricking those brutes into leaving…" Sir Didimus praised.

"Is it true, Sarah?" Hoggle asked interrupting Sir Didimus's words of admiration. "Did you really marry Jareth? Are you now his queen?"

"I'm afraid it is true, Hoggle." Sarah admitted to her friends

"Cor.." Hoggle breathed.

"But Sarwa, why?" Ludo asked, eyes wide and brimming with tears.

"He asked me to stay and I agreed. I didn't know that I would have to marry him in order to do that."

"Well, he had better treat you good or I'll…" Hoggle started but Jareth finished.

"You'll what?"

"Er…um…I'm just sayin' that you better treats her good, is all." Hoggle stuttered while twittering his thumbs and moving a few cautionary steps backward.

"Yes, well, you should know that I would never harm her and I will treat her like the queen she is and deserves to be." He huffed back at the cowering gardener. He turned his gaze to Sarah. "I've only come to tell you, that I must take care of some business in the northern territories of the labyrinth for a few hours. You are free to explore the city and the castle, but do not go into the labyrinth or the west wing of the castle, as I have warned you before." And with that the Goblin King dramatically summoned a crystal, and was gone in a plume of silver glitter.000

It had been a few hours…and a few more and still the King had not returned. Sarah had explored the city with her friends and after a promise to visit again, left to explore the castle that was now her home.

She explored her room, and then the tower, and then the filthy throne room, the kitchen, the dining room, the library, and many other rooms that she did not know the names of. Sarah was now standing at the entrance of the west wing, wrestling with her curiosity.

'He's not home yet, and what he doesn't know won't hurt him.' One voice in her head disclosed.

"But he's been gone for so long, he must be coming back soon. What if he catches you? What would he do?" Another, more rational, voice stated.

'Who says he won't be gone longer? And when will you get another chance to peek inside? It can't be that horrible, whatever he's hiding back there. And if it is, shouldn't you know now and leave while you have the chance?'

Sarah agreed with that last statement. What if he has the bodies of his other wives in there? She couldn't be the only girl that has made it through the labyrinth. The curiosity was killing her. Slowly she opened the door and…

There was a hallway, with another door at the end.

She walked to the other end of the hall and stared at the door in front of her. It was old and locked with a large, rusty, metal bar across its width. She put her ear to it. Nothing. She knocked. Again, nothing. Slowly she removed the bar. Still no noise from the other side.

'Maybe I shouldn't do this.' Her mind raged but in the end her inquisitiveness again prevailed.

She grasped the heavy clasp and opened the door in one swift motion…and screamed in terror at what leapt at her from the darkness within. 000

Short chapter I know, but i wanted to leave off here. Thanks for all the great reviews! You guys really give me the confidence i need to write more!


	3. Accepting 3

Accepting: Chapter 3

The first thing Jareth heard when he crossed the threshold of his castle was a skull-splitting scream from deep within.

"I told her to stay out of the west wing!" He roared as he ran full speed to his new bride.

000

Sarah lay on the ground. Her eyes were covered with purplish, black ooze, spewed from the monster that lurked behind the door. She was frantically wiping at her eyes, trying to clear her vision of the thick goo.

The creature slowly slithered towards its victim. The beast was enormous, with two small front limbs that drug its long, flowing body behind. It was covered in dark violet scales and had blood-red glowing eyes. Its head was massive and full of jagged, sharp teeth.

Just as its terrible jaws were about to clamp down on its prey, the Goblin King appeared. He chucked a crystal at the brute, which bound it once again into its lair.In an instant, Jareth was at Sarah's side, comforting her.

"No, no. Don't rub your eyes, it will only penetrate deeper."

"What _is_ this? What _was_ that thing? Oh, it hurts!"

"Shh…let me help you. Just stop wiping your eyes." He picked her up in his arms and carried to her chambers and laid her on the bed.

"I'll be back in a moment." He said as he dashed from the room. When he returned he carried numerous bottles of different sizes and shades and some clean bandages.

"Now, this potion might sting a little." He warned.

"Nothing could make it sting worse than it does now!" she breathed. She was becoming paler and paler and breathing heavier by the second.

"You have to calm down, it will be alright. I'm going to cleanse your eyes and bandage them so that they may heal."

"Heal? What's _wrong_ with them? What did the goop _do_ to me?" She demanded. But she did not comprehend the reply. The last thing she remembered was hearing Jareth's comforting and caring voice in her ear as she slipped into unconsciousness.

000

Sarah awoke in the middle of the night after having a horrible dream. She heard something. She tried to open her eyes but something was covering them. Her mind was muddled by sleep and fear. Again, the noise: the sound of something scraping against her window. She sprang from her bed, tears soaking the bandages on her eyes.

Somehow, she groped her way out into the hall...and promptly collided with a table. A vase that adorned the table toppled to the ground with a gut-wrenching crash.

Jareth flew from his bed when he heard the smash of breaking glass. In a flash he was in the hall, prepared to defend his home and bride with the sword he kept on his bedside table clenchedwith both hands. He scanned the hall for any sight of an intruder before the soft sound of sobs registered in his mind. Under the table cowered Sarah, sitting with her legs clutched to her chest and her head buried in her knees.

"Oh, Sarah…" he breathed. "Its alright, its only a storm."

She continued crying and slowly rocking herself underneath the table. He bent down and picked her up and carried her into his chambers.

"I had a bad dream and…(hiccup)…I heard something against my window and…(hiccup)…I can't see and…(hiccup)…I got really scared and…(hiccup)…" she rambled into his chest.

"Shh…everything's alright." He soothed. "You must have heard branches scrape against your window from the storm. You have to calm down, it's not beneficial for your bandages to be wet."

"What's the matter with my eyes?" she sniffled as he sat her on his bed.

"You were blinded by the venom of the Rathis. Your eyesight will return in time." 'hopefully' he added silently. "I have to change the bandages. Now don't open your eyes."

"Wha…(hiccup)…What's a Rathis?"

"The Rathis is a monster that devastated the goblins before I locked it away in the west wing."

"I'm sorry." She whispered after a few moments of silence. "I should have listened to you. You warned me about the west wing and I was too nosy to listen."

"I am the one who should apologize to you. I should have simply told you what was behind the door."

Sarah sniffled. Jareth saw that she was still trembling with fear. His heart went out to her. 'Who can blame her? She's in a new home, with her new husband, and was blinded by a giant, venom-spewing beast. The least I can do is calm her fears.' He thought as he finished applying the bandage to her eyes.

"Would you like to stay with me tonight?" When he saw her stiffen, he went on to explain. "Just sleep, nothing more. I can keep the 'boogeyman' at bay."

She hiccupped and nodded.

He told her to lay back and as she did he tucked her into the black satin sheets. When he slid in beside her, Sarah snuggled in close to his bare chestandtucked her head below his chin. He wrapped his arms around his bride and they both drifted off into a peaceful slumber.

000

Well, thats all for this chapter. No cliffhanger this time Addie Rain. Stay tuned for more and as always, reviews are muchappriciated!


	4. Accepting 4

Accepting: Chapter 4

Jareth was the first to wake. It took only moments to register that he held a sleeping girl in his arms. He moved a few tendrils of dark hair away from her face. She stirred and he thought that she was awake, but when he heard her mumble he realized she was dreaming.

"Jareth? Where are you?" His heart jumped at the sound of his name on her lips. He held her tighter to show her that he was there.

"No, stay back! Help! Jareth!" she was screaming now and awoke, flinging herself into a sitting position.

"Shh...I'm here. It was only a nightmare." He comforted, while embracing her once again.

"It was so real. That monster was chasing me. He was so close, I could feel his breath hot against the back of my neck."

"I won't let the creature harm you again." He soothed.

For a few minutes, Sarah stayed close to Jareth's hard, bare chest. His scent of wild trees and musk calmed her. Jareth reveled in simply being close to the woman he loved.

"Lets get you dressed." Jareth said when she began to untangle herself from his arms.

"Um… I think I can do that on my own, thank you." She shortly replied.

"Lets see you try." He smirked.

Sarah knew he had that old smirk on his face and wanted to slap it off, if only she could see where his face was at the moment. Instead she just sighed.

"Could you just hand me a dress and lead me to the changing curtain? Please."

Jareth could never have ignored her plea, even if he wanted to. "I can do better than that." He stated and with a wave of his hand she was changed into a light green dress. Her outfit was made complete with matching slippers on her dainty feet.

She felt her body and realized she was now dressed for the day. "Th…Thank you. That was easier than I expected."

He went to her and took her hand in his. He raised that hand to his lips and placed a delicate kiss on her open palm. "Anything for my queen." He whispered and was rewarded with a blush that peeked out from beneath the bandages that covered her injured eyes.

000

After the brief ordeal of getting her dressed, Jareth led Sarah down the staircase and into the dining room. She fared rather well at feeding herself, only missing her mouth a few times to the delight of Jareth, who had to cover his mouth to hide his mirth.

"How old are you?" she suddenly asked while they were eating.

"Old enough." He answered around a mouthful of bread.

"No, seriously. How old are you?"

"Hundreds of years old. But I don't feel a day over ninety-nine." He joked.

"_Hundreds_ of years. Wow, that's ol….um…I mean…" she stuttered.

"You think I am old." He finished for her, with a smile. "To a fae, hundreds of years are comparable to months from a human perspective. So I am somewhere around thirty in your time."

"Oh, well that's not so bad." She stated. After a few more bites of food she opened her inquisitive mouth again. "Are you immortal?"

"Yes and no. If you mean immortal as in I cannot be killed, then no. But if you mean immortal as in able to live on for many, many years without looking any older than I do now, then yes."

"Am I now immortal?"

"No...well at least, not yet. You will only become immortal after we…" he searched for a delicate way to put this…"consummate our marriage."

"C…consummate!" she stuttered. 'I hope that means something else here than it means where I come from!' she thought frantically.

"Yes, but only when your ready." He soothed in a loving voice.

She sat there for a few minutes, now too stunned to eat. She searched for some way to change the subject.

"When will my eyes be healed?"

"Hopefully, no longer than a month. I do not think that you will want to wear those bandages to our wedding ball. They would certainly clash with your gown." He said with a smirk.

"Wedding ball?"

"When a fae couple is married, there is always a ball." He replied, matter-of-factly.

"Oh." Was her reply and she went back to her half eaten, nearly cold, breakfast.

000

Not such an exciting chapter but I do love making Jareth so cute! Thanks for the reviews! More reviews faster updates.


	5. Chapter 5

Hello Everyone! Long time no see, huh? Sorry about that, there has been a lot going on like graduation, getting a second job, getting college crap in order, grad partys, blah blah blah… excuses, excuses right? Well, I've finally found time to write another chapter. I hope you enjoy.

Disclaimer: I have now realized that I did not put up a disclaimer as of yet. Well here goes. I don't own anything. Wish I did, cause I'd be pretty stinkin rich, but I don't.

Accepting: Chapter 5

Sarah was sitting alone in the castle garden, glad to finally have some time to herself to think about all that had happened in the past few days. Jareth had left her there (after a small argument on Sarah's part about not being an invalid) under a strict promise not to move an inch and to call if she became distressed in any way. He sat her on the soft grass beneath the window of his chambers, which was open, and every few seconds he glanced up from his work to check on her.

She breathed in deeply, taking in all of the lovely scents of thesurrounding garden. She wished that she could see it. She could smell many kinds of flowers that she didn't know the names of, always with an undercurrent of ripe peaches. 'Perhaps there is a grove of peach trees nearby?' She could hear the faint sound of trickling water, maybe a stream ran though the garden or perhaps a fountain adorned its center. She decided to ask Jareth if there were peach trees in the garden. She could not stop smelling the peaches, no matter how hard she tried to focus on another scent.

'I wonder why he is being so nice to me all of a sudden.' She thought, making lazy patterns in the tall grass with her fingers. She was leery about having to depend on him for an entire month while her eyes healed. He was her one-time enemy, after all. Could he really be trusted? 'He was never this kind when I was running his Labyrinth. Maybe that was all an act, put on to keep me from getting to the center. Perhaps the real Goblin King is kind and gentle, not arrogant and cruel as I was first led to believe. But how am I to know for sure what his personality is when I have only known him for a few days? I should give him a chance, at least a few weeks, to really get to know him before judging him.' She smiled and nodded to herself, happy with her decision.

But what about after that? No matter the kind of personality he had, she was stuck with him for the rest of her life. And the way he was talking at breakfast that morning, the rest of her life could be pretty long if they ever "consummated" their marriage. 'Consummate.' she thought, while inwardly (and outwardly) cringing. 'I am sooo not ready for that yet!' And there was also the age difference between them. He was hundreds of years old and she was only 18! (Authors note: I know, I know. In the movie, she's like 15 or 16. But this is my story so if I say that Sarah is 18, then she's 18. Ok?) Even if he was only 30 in human terms that was still a great deal older.

Her mind eventually began to wonder to her friends and if they would be able to come and visit her sometime soon. She was obviously unable at the present time to visit them, unless Jareth accompanied her. She went on in her own private little world and eventually sprawled out in the grass, enjoying the tickling of the blades on her cheeks.

Jareth was in his study, keeping a close watch on Sarah and simultaneously preparing for the upcoming ball. There was so much to do! The invitations had to be sent, the food and decorations to be ordered, and the room to be prepared. But even with all this to keep his mind occupied, only thoughts of Sarah were entertained this morning. He felt pangs of guilt for her accident and her state of blindness that she was now left in. He had sent for a healer, but he was still not to be expected for another few days, being that he was in another, far off kingdom, aiding in the delivery of a baby prince. Jareth only hoped that he would be able to do something for his precious Sarah when he finally did arrive.

He also worried about the beast that tossed her into this world of darkness. The rathis was not one to sit in its prison when it knew that there was blind human prey running about. He sent for a goblin at that instant and ordered that the locks in the west wing be strengthened by the end of the week. He would take no chances with the life of his love on the line.

Love. Now there is a word Jareth thought that he would never utter. And yet, he fell in love, and it was a hard fall, in no more than 13 hours. My how fate has a way of changing things when we least expect it.

Finally, after an hour or so, he managed to finish and send the invitations for the marriage ball. He looked out of the window to check on Sarah one last time before walking out to join her.

He walked across the cobblestone path through the garden towards Sarah, or at least where he had last seen Sarah, when peering from his office window. The closer he came to the spot, the faster his heart beat in fear. 'She was in that exact spot no less than 60 seconds ago! I told hernot to move an inch!' Finally, his fear got the best of him and he called out to her. "Sarah? Sarah, where are you!"

Don't worry, more to come. Reviews, as always, are most appreciated. Thanx!


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